Reebok pays $25 million for “cheeky” ads

An article this week on PRNewser touched on FTC settlement ordering Reebok to pay $25 million for deceptively advertising its EasyTone and RunTone shoes. And while Reebok stands by its product, saying, “We remain committed to the further development of our EasyTone line of products,” the athletic company agreed to fork over the substantial chunk of money for customer returns.

According to the Federal Trade Commission’s website, “Reebok falsely claimed that walking in EasyTone footwear had been proven to lead to 28 percent more strength and tone in the buttock muscles, 11 percent more strength and tone in the hamstring muscles, and 11 percent more strength and tone in the calf muscles than regular walking shoes.”

In regard to Reebok’s bum-centric ads, David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Consumer Protection Bureau, was quoted in the Washington Post saying, “Advertisers can’t make claims about their product without having some basis for it…That’s the law.”

Reebok’s social media doesn’t seem to be doing much to appease consumer frustration, despite the negative press it’s getting. Heck, even Oprah tweeted about it! It will be interesting to see if/how they respond in the next week.

If you were a believer that funky-looking shoes could give you a J-Lo booty, and you purchased a pair of these $80 – $100 dollar shoes, fear not. You can apply here for your chunk of that $25 million.